Ore reducing machine



July 23, 1935.

.A. D. HADsEL .f 2,008,863

ORE REDUC ING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931' mar/)MW 4f C0.

ATTORNEYS. l

Patented July 23,1935 I 2,008,863

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORE REDUCIN G MACHINE Alvah D. Hadsel," Oakland, Calif., assignor to Monarch Development Company, Ltd.

*Application May 4, 1931, Serial No. 534,949

28 Claims. (Cl. 153-46) The present invention relates to ore reducing to some extent. The outer wall 9 is made slantmachines and its principal object is to provide a ing so that itsextreme end I2 is spaced from the machine of the character described that is simple bottom I of the adjacent4 bucket and forms an in construction, economical in operation and that opening therewith as shown at I3, through which 5 will reduce the cost of reducing ore to a miniwater may be admitted into the bucket as the 5 mum, and thereby will make much low grade latter passes through the saine. The action of ore available for commercial exploitation that these buckles is particularly well illustrated in thus far has been considered as being impossi- Figure 3 from which it appears that in passing ble of commercial use at a prot. through the tank the water is scooped into the in- More particularly it is proposed in the present dividual buckets and passes through the buckets 10 invention to use a comparatively simple machine in intimate contact with the ore, and rises with in which the ore may be fed without prelimithe latter to an elevation substantially on a level nary crushing and which in a simple continuous with the axis of rotation, whereupon the ore and operation reduces the ore to any size desired. the water discharge through the open inner walls i 5 It is furtherproposed in the present invention of the buckets, the discharge lbeing distributed l5 to use the ore itself as a reducing means and to through a period of rotation slightly in excess eiect reduction by impact of oreagainst ore so of ninety degrees. that the metallic parts of the machine are not The tank I which is rather elongated in form subjected to heavy wear due to impact in the to accommodate the lower section of the revolv- '20 crushing operation. ing wheel is formed with an elevated side pocket 20 It is further proposed in the present invention illustrated at I4, the bottom of this side pocket to control the neness to which the ore is to be being defined by a substantially semi-circular reducedby hydraulic classification, and thus to plate I5 mounted concentrically with the axis of combine the principles of ore reduction and classrotation, and extending into the wheel, inside ication into a single machine. of the buckets so that ore may be fed from this 25 Further objects and advantages of my invenplate into the buckets through their inner opention will appear as the specification proceeds. ings indicated at Ill. 'I'he semi-circular plate I5 The Preferred form 0f my invention is illushas an extension I'I projecting still further into trated in the accompanying drawing in which the wheel so that its most advanced wall I8, which 3o Figure 1 shows a t0n plan View 0f my machine; is slightly bent at its upper end as at I9, comes 30 l Figure 2 a central longitudinal section taken almost in Contact with the mate 20 which enalong line 2-2 of Figure 1; and tirely closes the far side of the wheel. This ex- Figure 3 a transverse Section taken along line tension is formed with-a vfiat bottom 2| positioned 3-3 of Figure 2. above the lower portion of the semi-circular side While I have shown only the preferred f orm pocket so that the ore dropping from the buckets 35 of my invention, I wish to have it understood that mst fans on the plate 2| and from there drops Various Changes 01' mOdCaOIlS may be made sidewise upon the semi-circular plate I5, which within the Scope 0f the Claims hefetO attached latter returns the ore into the buckets. It should without departing from the spirit of the invenbe Observed thatduring the operation of this 40 tion. machine'a bed of ore gathers on the plate 2| as 40 In its preferred f01'm my inventlon comprises well as on the plate I5, and that the ore dropping a tank adapted t0 hold Water and the ore to from the buckets therefore makes impact against be reduced and a' large Wheel 2 mounted OP the the ore lying on the plate 2I so that the breaking Shaft 3, Which lattfr 1S sfmported m smtable up of the ore is due to impact of rock against rock,

' bearings 4' the bearmgs bemg arranged so as to while the metallic portions of the machine are 5 allow a lower section of the wheel 2 to be subnot subjected to the impact and are protected by merged in the water of the tank, the level of the su rimposed ore which is indicated at 5. The wheel 2 is arranged .pg

Additional ore may be admitted upon the semi with a lurality of peripheral buckets 6, each v bucket ing nxed relativo to the wheel, rootanclrcular plate l5 from a chute 22 through a we 50 gular in cross section, and having a closed bottom sdes 8, and a closed outer wall 9, while zhgliir 1wall is operi as shown at I0 with the It will be noted that three sides of the tank arey han the fourth side 25 so that exception of a small bar II rising from the bottom slightly higher t y y and intended-to delay the discharge of the bucket as the water rises it overflows over the fourtlii, L

23, while additional water may be admitted` I. throughasuitable pipe connection indicated at 24. 1

side upon the plate 26, and from there to other plates indicated at 21 and 28.

Rotary motion may be imparted to the shaft 3 in any suitable manner as by a train of gears indicated at 29, 30 and 3| from a power shaft 32.

In operation the ore is fed into the machine through the gate 23, and water through the pipe 24. 'I'he ore drops on the semi-cylindrical plate l5 and from there into the buckets 6 through the inner openings indicated at I0. During the beginning of the operation with a new machine, a certain amount of rock will of course drop toward and settle in the bottom of the tank to form a bed 33 substan tially of the form shown in Figure 3, which latter bed after having been formed, may remain undisturbed for a long period of operation, its surface being continuously scraped-by the revolving buckets. The ore, having dropped from the semi-circular plate 5 into the buckets is then lifted as illustrated in Figure 3, the ore gradually shifting in the buckets and beginning to drop as each bucket passes the horizontal center line of the wheel. During the next quarter of revolution, the ore from each bucket drops upon the plate 2| on which a bed of ore remains to serve as an impact means for the dropping ore. It is at this point where the principal crushing and breaking up operation takes place, and each time a rock is dropped from one of the buckets from the bed of rocks on the plate 2 I, small particles will separate from such rock so that each rock is gradually broken up into fine particles. From the plate 2| the ore passes onto the lower semicircular plate I5, which latter'returns the ore to the buckets 6 where it again begins its upward travel.

The fineness to which the ore is to be reduced is controlled by hydraulic classification. Since additional rock and additional water is fed into the tank continuously, there is a continuous overflow of the water and the lighter particles of ore are carried oi with the overow to pass over the plates 26, 21 and 28, to be discharged from the latter. All the ore entering through the gate 23 is broken up in the machine until reduced to a size capable of being carried oi by the overflowing water so that the fineness of reduction can be closely regulated by adjustment of the height of the wall.25 and by the rate of water feed.

I claim:

1. A stationary tank for holding water, an im-4 pact medium above the water, spaced means with passages therebetween for passing a quantity of ore through the water, for elevating the quantity and dropping the same on the impact medium and means for returning the ore from the impact medium to the water.

2. In an ore reducera stationary container for holding water, a wheel revolvably mounted with its lower portion submerged in the water, ore-carrying buckets on the wheel adapted to dip into the water and to receive ore While passing through the water and to drop the o re when raised and a breaker plate mounted within the wheel and above the water so as to form an impact medium for the dropping ore, the breaker plate having a free edge communicating with the water to allow the ore to gravitate over the free edge through the water to the submerged buckets.

3. In an ore reducer, a stationary container for holding water, an elevator mounted with its lower portion submerged in the water, ore-carriers on the elevator adapted to pass through the water, to receive ore while thus passing and to drop the ore when raised and a breaker plate mounted above the water and so as to form an impact medium for the dropping ore, the breaker plate having a free edge communicating with the water to allow the ore to gravitate therefrom over thefree edge through the water to the submerged ore-carriers.

4. In a device of the character described, a stationary tank for holding a liquid and having a discharge edge, an impact medium mounted above the liquid and having afree edge communicating with the latter, a revolvable wheel having its lower portion submerged in the liquid, buckets on the wheel for lifting material from the liquid and dropping the same on the impact medium whereby the material is crushed and made to gravitate over the free edge of the impact medium into the liquid, the wheel having one side closed for maintaining a comparatively quiet zone between the wheel and the discharge edge of the tank and means for oating the lighter particles of material toward the quiet zone and thence over the discharge edge.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a stationary tank containing liquid and having an edge over which the liquid discharges, of means for dropping crushed material into the liquid, means for maintaining a quiet zone in the portion of the tank adjacent the discharge edge and means for floating off the finer particles of the material through the quiet zone and over the discharge edge.

6. In a device of the character described, a re-` volvable wheel having peripheral buckets thereon opening internally and externally in the direction of rotation, means for mounting the Wheel on a horizontal axis, means for` feeding ore into the lower buckets, an impact medium mounted within the wheel to receive ore dropping from the ascending buckets and means for returning the ore from the impact medium to the lower buckets in the vertical plane of the dropping ore.

7. In a device of the character described, a revolvable wheel having peripheral buckets thereon opening internally and externally in the direction of rotation, means for mounting the wheel on a horizontal axis, means for feeding ore into the lower buckets, an impact medium mounted Within the wheel to' receive ore dropping from the ascending buckets and means for returning the portion submerged in the Water in the tank,

buckets .on the wheel adapted to dip into the water and to receive material while passing through the water and to drop the material when raised a predetermined amount above the water, and stationary impact means mounted within the `revolvable wheel and in the pathyof the material discharged from the buckets, the impact means being disposed above the level of the water in the tank so that the falling material is intercepted and crushed, said impactvmeans having a free edge communicating with the water in the tank to` allow the crushed material to gravitate through the water to the submerged buckets.

9. A device of the class described comprising a rotatable Wheel having a series of buckets ex'- tending around its periphery with the front portion of one bucket abutting the rear of the ad- 7'5 jacent bucket, the rear end wall of each bucket being closed and an opening formed between the rear end wall and the bottom of the adjacent bucket, and an opening formed in the portion of each bucket facing the interior of the wheel.

10. A device of the class described comprising a rotatable wheel having a'series of buckets extending around its periphery with the front of one bucket abutting the rear of the adjacent bucket, the bottom of each bucket extending outwardly at an angle to the periphery of the wheel, the rear end wall of each bucket being closed and of less height than the front of the adjacent bucket.

11. A device of the class described comprising a rotatable wheel having a series of buckets extending around its -periphery with the front of one bucket abutting the rear of the adjacent bucket, the bottom of each bucket extending outwardly at an angle to the periphery of the Wheel, the rear end wall of each bucket being closed and of less height than the front of the adjacent bucket, an annular plate enclosing one side of the buckets, said plate having an opening formed therein to provide an open side for the wheel interiorily of the buckets, and a solid plate enclosing the opposite side of the buckets and wheel.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a stationary tank having a discharge outlet, of a rotatable wheel having a series of buckets on its periphery adapted to be successively submerged in the liquid in the tank when the wheel rotates, said wheel having one end closed and its opposite end open, the closed rnd portion of the wheel being located adjacent to the discharge outlet of the tank, means for delivering material and liquid into the tank at the open side of the wheel, and a xed material breaker medium disposed within the wheel and overlying the liquid in the tank, said breaker medium being adapted to intercept material discharged from the raised buckets, one edge p-ortion of the breaker medium communicating with the liquid in the tank and the opposite edge portion of said breaker medium being closed by the closed end wall of the wheel.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a stationary tank containing liquid and material, of a rotatable wheel having its lower portion submerged in the liquid in the tank, buckets carried by the Wheel for lifting material outof the tank, said wheelhaving one end closed and its opposite end open, means for delivering material into the tank at the open end portion of the wheel, and a xed impact plate disposed within the wheel and overlying the liquid in the tank, said plate being adapted to intercept material discharged from the buckets, one edge portion of the impact plate being disposed adjacent the open side of the wheel and being in communication with the liquid in the tank and the opposite edge portion of said plate being closed by the closed end wall of the wheel.

14. A device of the character described comprising a revolvable drum having -a plurality of material lifting means thereon, means for feeding material into said drum, means associated with the drum for receiving the impact of the material discharged from said lifting means, means for discharging the material from such a height that the material falling onto said impact means is substantially chipped, the lifting means being arranged closely together for discharging the material in substantially parallel streams, i

means formed on the drum for confining the material therein to a substantially narrow zone and for preventing movement of the material axially through the drum, the impact means having an area corresponding substantially to the area of the stream of falling material so as to intercept substantially all of the material falling from the lifting means, means for returning the material from the impact means to the lifting means in the bottom of the drum, and fluid means for separating thenes from the material undergoing reduction in the device.

l5. A device of the class described comprising a rotary drum having a diameter not less than four times its width, in combination with means for feeding material into one side of the drum, means for lifting the material, means for receiving the impact of the material, means for gradually discharging the material from said lifting means whereby the material collects on to the impact means in the form of a shallow bed, means for returning the material from the impact means to the lifting means through the same side of the drum through which the material enters the drum, and fluid means for classifying the material.

16. In an ore reducer of the characterk described, a revolvably mounted wheel having peripheral buckets thereon with openings toward the center of the wheel, and having outer walls presented angularly relative to the wheel for scooping action the front edge of the outer Wall 0f each bucket being in radial alignment with the rear edge of the preceding bucket.

17. In a device of the character described, a stationary tank for holding a liquid and having a discharge edge, an impact medium mounted above the liquid and having a free edge communicating with the latter, means for dropping material on the impact medium whereby the material is made to gravitate into the liquid in comminuted form, means for maintaining a comparatively quiet zone between the impact medium and the discharge edge of the tank through which all of the finer particles of the material are caused to pass, and means for floating off the finer particles of the material over the discharge edge of the tank.

18. A device of the class described comprising a rotary drum, means for feeding material into a revolvable drum having a plurality -of mate.

rial lifting means, means for feeding material into one side of said drum, means formed on the drum for preventing movementof the material axially `through the drum, an impact medium mounted within the drum and spanning substan.. tially the space between said material lifting means, means for gradually discharging the material from said lifting means in substantially uniform streams across the drum, and means for removing the fines from the material undergoing reduction in the device.

20. A device of the class described comprising a revolvable drum, means formed on the drum for lifting the material, means for feeding material into one side of the drum, means for preventing movementl of the material axially through the drum, impact means for receiving the thrust of the material discharged from said material lifting means, said impact means being mounted near the bottom of the drum and spanning substantially the space between said material lifting means, means for discharging the material from the lifting means in substantially uniform streams across the drum whereby the material falls in a substantially uniform layer on said impact means, and means for separating the nes after each impact of the material with said impact means.

21. A device of the class described comprising a revolvable drum, a plurality of buckets mounted in the drum for lifting the material, means for feeding material into one side of said drum, means for preventing movement of the material axially through the drum, impact means for receiving the impact of the material discharged from said buckets, said impact means being mounted near the bottom of the drum and spanning substantially the space between said buckets, means for discharging the material from the buckets in substantially uniform streams across the drum whereby the material falls in a substantially uniform layer on said impact means, and means for separating the fines after each impact of the material with said impact means.

22. A device of the character described comprising a revolvable drum having one side closed and an opening formed in its opposite side, a plurality of buckets mounted around the periphery of the drum for lifting the material, means for feeding the material into said drum through the open side thereof, an impact medium mounted a substantial distance below the axis of the drum for receiving the impact of the material discharged from said buckets, said impact medium extending transversely across the drum, means for gradually discharging the material from the buckets whereby the material falls on the impact medium in substantially uniform streams, and means for separating the nes after each impact of the material with said impact medium.

23. A device of the character described comprising a revolvable drum, a plurality of material lifting buckets carried by said drum, an opening formed in one end wall of the drum, a wall formed at the opposite end of the drum for preventing axial movementof the material through the drum, means for feeding the material into said drum through the open end thereof, impact means Within the drum for receiving the thrust of the material, said impact means spanning substantially the interior of the drum from the buckets on one side to the buckets on the opposite side, means for discharging the material from the buckets in substantially uniform streams across the drum, whereby the material falls in a substantially uniform layer on said impact means, and means for separating the fines after each impact of the material with said impact means.

24. In an ore reducing machine, means for repeatedly subjecting the ore at spaced intervals to crushing action in a closed circuit in which unreduced portions of the ore are prevented from leaving the circuit and means for moving the ore after each crushing action through a stationary body of water with the ore exposed to the Washing action of the water for Washing out the nes.

25. In an ore reducing machine, means for repeatedly subjecting the ore at spaced intervals to crushing action in a closed circuit in which unreduced portions of the ore are prevented from leaving the circuit and means for moving the ore after each crushing action through a stationary body of water with the ore exposed to the washing action of the water for washing out the fines, the latter means having openings allowing concentrates to settle out of the circuit.

26. A device of the class described comprising a revolvable drum having a plurality of materiallifting means, means for feeding material into said drum, means formed on the drum for preventing movement of the material axially through the drum, an impact medium mounted within the drum and spanning substantially the space between said material-lifting means, means for gradually discharging the material from said lifting means in substantially uniform stream across the drum, and means for removing the nes from the material undergoing reduction in the device.

27. In an ore reducing machine, means for repeatedly subjecting ore at regular and timed intervals to crushing action in a continuous and closed circuit in which unreduced portions of the ore are prevented from leaving the circuit and are confined to a restricted zone, and means for hydraulically classifying the ore by flotation in water during the interval after each crushing action for removal of the nes, the latter means including a settling area for concentrates contained in the ore.

28. In an ore reducing machine, a tank for holding water, a breaker plate supported above the water, a bucket elevator encircling the breaker plate and being narrower than the tank, and having its lower buckets submerged in the Water with front sections of the buckets open to the water, means for feeding material into the buckets whereby the material is raised and dropped on the breaker plate and made to gravitate from the plate into the water in comminuted form, the nes being made to float on the water while the coarser particles descend into the buckets for further elevating and dropping, and the water circulating from the tank through the open front sections of the buckets toward the interior of the elevator and back again on the outside of the elevator.

ALVAH D. HADSEL. 

